The room fell silent. After a few minutes, Caroline watched her daughter release Kathy’s hand and move to the red call button at the side of the bed. She pressed it, then resumed her seat, returning Kathy’s hand to hers.
“What’s happening?” the nurse whispered, coming up behind Caroline and pushing the door fully open. Michelle rose to her feet, her eyes connecting with Caroline’s as Aisha walked briskly to Kathy’s bedside and confirmed she was gone. “Thank you,” she told Michelle as a second nurse entered the room. “You were wonderful. We’ll take care of things from here.”
“You were wonderful,” Caroline echoed as her daughter stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her. She was still wearing her gym clothes.
“You’ve been eavesdropping again.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re getting pretty good at it.”
“What you said to her was beautiful.”
Michelle shrugged. “I don’t believe any of it, you know. That stuff I said about Heaven.”
Caroline smiled. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I just told her what she wanted to hear.”
“Whatever. I’m so proud of you.”
Michelle shook her head. “Don’t be.” She turned and hurried down the corridor, through the great room, kitchen, and dining area to the stairs.
“Michelle, wait,” Caroline called over the sound of piano music that trailed them down the stairs and into the main floor reception room. They stopped suddenly, both women temporarily startled by the sight of Caroline’s face on the television screen above the fireplace. Even though the sound was off, the message she was delivering to Aidan Wainwright came through loud and clear.
“Guess that high road got a little lonely,” Michelle said with a grin.
Caroline smiled. “I have to admit it felt great to get off it.”
The volunteer receptionist, a tiny young woman whose pixie haircut took the edge off her very serious face, glanced from Caroline to the TV, then back to Caroline before blushing bright pink and burying her head in the book she’d been reading.
“Why weren’t you there?”
“I’m sorry,” Michelle said. “I was planning to come. Honestly.”
“Where were you? We called and called.”
“I went to the gym, worked out for a while. I had every intention of coming home and changing, going with you to the press conference. But, I don’t know, I started walking and just kept going. I ended up in Balboa Park. I remembered you told me that you used to go there all the time…Anyway, I was just sitting there on one of the benches, trying to clear my head. I figured I still had plenty of time. When I finally checked my watch, it was almost noon. I knew I’d never make it home to change and get over to the precinct for twelve o’clock, so I didn’t even try. Maybe that was my subconscious plan all along. I don’t know. Instead I went to a sports bar and watched it on TV.”
Caroline couldn’t help being alarmed. “You went to a bar?”
“Don’t worry. I just had a Coke.”
“You had a Coke?” Caroline repeated, even more surprised. When was the last time Michelle had had a soft drink?
“And a whole bowl of peanuts. God—I’m so awful.”
“You aren’t awful because you ate a bowl of peanuts.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“You still aren’t awful.”
“I didn’t go to the press conference…”
“Which ultimately worked out pretty well…”
“I didn’t answer my phone. I knew it was you calling, but I let it go to voice mail.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter. The least I could have done was call.”
“Okay, you should have called. Which makes you a little inconsiderate, but hardly awful.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand that the girl I just watched comforting that poor woman upstairs may be many things—difficult included—but she is anything but awful.”
“I’m so stupid…”
“You aren’t awful and you aren’t stupid.” Caroline spun toward the receptionist. “Do you think you could give us a minute here, please?”
The volunteer immediately jumped out of her seat, breathed a big sigh of relief, and left the area.
“You’re not stupid,” Caroline said again.
“This is all my fault.”
“What is your fault?”
“Everything.”
“How can anything be your fault?”
“I was jealous and spiteful…”
“You were just being protective. Some girl calls out of the blue, says she’s Samantha. You were right to be suspicious.”
“I wanted her gone.”
“That’s only natural. It’s going to take time to adjust…”
“I’m not talking about now,” Michelle said.
Caroline felt her entire body go numb. She glanced from Michelle to the TV, saw herself standing ramrod straight in front of a microphone just prior to her outburst. MOTHER HURLS EXPLETIVES AT REPORTER scrolled across the bottom of the screen. “I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
Michelle fell back against the nearest of the four overstuffed chairs. “I’m not talking about wanting Samantha gone now,” she repeated. “I’m talking about wanting her gone fifteen years ago.”